The MOT test is obsolete and makes our roads no safer - it's time to scrap it

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Evidence from the US has shown that abolising mandatory safety testing has no impact on the rate of road accidentsCredit:
Rui Vieira/PA Wire

Most of us take the MOT test for granted. We might grumble and moan when the reminder comes through the post, but most of us begrudgingly accept that, like flossing, paying on average £33.60 for an annual vehicle check-up is annoying but necessary.

Yet there’s little evidence that MOT tests actually do the job they are supposed to do: namely, prevent accidents and save lives. The best defenders of the status quo can do is point to failure rates and repairs carried out. But when you look at results, there’s no evidence that MOTs reduce road deaths.

Across the pond, most US states don’t require MOT-style annual check-ups. As of January, Utah became the 34th state to scrap mandatory vehicle inspections...